Vacuum machine



Aug. 14, 1934. J;M.YQUNG. 1,969,771

VACUUM MACHINE Filed Aug.' 22, 1931 l ffm www; f,

Patented Aug. 14, -19u34 `4 4.UNITED STATES 4PATENT ori-ica VACUUM MACHINE John M. Young, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, NewV York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 22, 1931, Serial No. 558,820 s claims. (ci. 19a-zus) to the mounting of a tapered valve which engages.

a valve seat of corresponding shape and which maintains a seal for the vacuum chamber while rotating to carry cans into or out of the chamber. Provision is made for maintaining this proper seal between the engaged surfaces at all times while The principal object of the present invention is y the provision of a mounting for a valve of this general character which embodies yielding means for holding the valve in proper sealing engagement within its seat.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a valve which is secured to a rotating shaft, this shaft being journaled in floating bearings yieldingly and adjustably held by opposed spring devices.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of a tapered valve having rotation on a vertical axis, the closeness of t between the tapered surfaces of valve and valve seat being accurately adjustable by raising or lowering of the valve.

Numerous other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in 'connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, sectional view of a `valve and its associated parts illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, the mounting element of the valve being shown relative to the casing of a vacuum chamber;

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig.` 3 is a plan sectional detail taken substan- The valve 21 rotates adjacent a vacuum chamber casing 27 which encloses a vacuum chamber 28,

the' latter -being .provided with an opening 29 extending through the casing 27. It is through this opening that the containers are introduced into e0 or withdrawn from the vacuum chamber.

A valve seat 31 is secured to the casing 27 and is provided with a semi-circular projecting wall 32 through which an opening 33 is formed.

Opening 33 connects with'the opening 29 of the 'vacuum chamber and cooperates therewith to provide communication with a pocket 22 of the rotating valve 21 as the latter is rotated into proper position. f 1

Valve 21 is preferably provided with a tapered 7 0 peripheral surface 35 which engages with a correspondingly shaped surface 36 formed in the valve seat 31. -As illustrated in Fig. 2 thewalls 32 of the valve seat extend substantially half way around the peripheral wall of the valve, the contact between these surfacesv 35, 36 providing an air-tight sliding closure for the vacuum chamber opening. The valve and its shaft 24 are mounted lin iloating' bearings and slight lateral or vhorizontal shifting movement may be had under cer- I0 tain conditions as for example when the valve becomes heated and expands during its operation of conveying cans into or out of the vacuum chamber.

There are two floating bearings, one for the 86 top and one for the bottom of the valve shaft'24. In the lower bearing unit a sleeve 41 (Figs. 1 and 3) provides an element for the' support of the valve. This sleeve is formed with an upper Vflange 42 on which a ball bearing unit 43 rests. This- 90 unit is partially embedded in a seat 44 formed in the bottom of the valve 21. The bearing unit 43 .surrounds the shaft 24 and provides an anti- .friction bearing for the rotating' valve.

The vertical position of the sleeve 41 determines 95 the closeness of flt between the tapered surface, 35 of theA valve and th'e corresponding tapered sur face 36 of the valve seat and this vertical position may be altered to provide proper working conditions. For this purpose the sleeve is threaded for the reception of an upper adjusting collar 46 and -alower adjusting collar 47. 'I'he upper collar rests upon a washer 48 embedded in and supported by a housing*49 formed as an integral part cr the casing 2'1. This couar- 46 is heid in 105 predetermined position by a locking collar 51 also threaded on the sleeve. The adjusting co1- lar 47 cooperates with the collar 46 and is in like mannerlocked in its predetermined position by a locking collar 52 threadedly engaging the sleeve. no

'Ihe collars 46, 47 are spaced from each other a suilicient distance to permit free lateral sliding' i movement of thesleeve 41 relative to the frame 49. A vertical opening 53 is formed in the frame I 49 and is considerably larger than' the outer diameter of the sleeve 41 to give @the proper clearance.. f

The upper end of the shaft 24 is held in similar manner so that its upper bearing floats orhas slight lateral sliding movement relative to the casing 27. For this'purpose a sleeve 55 looselyf surrounds the upper end of the shaft and is -located within an enlarged recess 56 extending vertically through a frame extension 57 of the casin g 27. Sleeve is formed with a flange 58 which ts within a counterbore 59 formed in the frame 57. The upper end of the sleeve 55 is threaded for the reception of an adjusting collar 61 and a 1 locking collar 62. This adjustment of the coll'ar 20 61 on its sleeve is made for the purpose of pro- .viding a proper distance between the collar face and the ange 58 of the sleeve 55 to permit easy lateral shifting of the sleeve with the shaft 24 within the recess 56. While the valve '21] is supported on the sleeve 41, the shaft 24 is held in proper vertical position by means of the key 25"' and also a collar 63 pinned to the upper end of the shaft.

The exact lateral position of the shaft 24 rela-4 tive to the casing 27 at any particular time is determined by yielding spring members associated with both upper and lower bearings. This is independent of the vertical adjustment of the shaft just referred to. Mechanically these spring holding features are the same for both top and bottom of the shaft andl will now be described in detail.

For thelower bearing the frame 49 is formed with a laterally extendingchamber having upper and lower walls. A bearing block 64 is located within this chamber Yand has sliding, lateral movement between the parallel chamber walls. This block surrounds the. sleeve 41, the sliding movement of the blockv and also shaft and valve being in and out or toward and away from the casing 27.

The block 64 is provided with opposed counterbores 65, 66 the former on the inside or the side next to the casing 27. One end of a spring 67 is'vv located within the bore 65. the opposite end ex' tendingl within the inside of a'hollow adjusting nut 69 threadedly secured rwithin the frame 49. A locknut v1 tilreaqed1yy engages this adjusting nut and clamping against lthe frame. holds the nut 69 in predetermined position. In like manner on'e end of a spring- 75 is located within the bore 66, its opposite end being engaged by a hollow adjusting nut 76 threaded within the frame.49 and held in. adjusted position by a locknut 77. Thus the opposing springs 67, working in opposite directions or against one another, provide the yieldable holding feature for the lower end of the shaft 24.

For the upper iloatihg or yielding bearing the frame 57 is similarly recessed to provide a lat' elly extending chamber having upper and lowerparallel walls for the' reception of ablock 92 slidingly located therein, this block surrounding the upper sleeve 55. Opposed bores 93, 94 are formed in this block -92 and adjacent ends oi'4 opposed springs 95, 96 extend therein. Spring is on vthe inside or adjacent to the casing 27 andis held in adjusted'position by a hollow adjusting nut 9,7 threadedly engaged in the frame 57. `Its adjusted position is maintained by a lock- 'ingI forces for the valve.

nut'99.. The spring 96 is engaged at its opposite end within a hollow adjusting nut 101 threadedly secured in the frame, this nut being held in adjusted position by a locknut 103.

Springs 67, 95' control the outward pressure exerted through their respective blocks 64, 92 and provide for the lateral thrusts in one direction for the shaft 24 and its valve 21. In a similar manner, springs 75, 96 exert an inward holding influence against the blocks 64, 92.

Thecompression upon the several springs being independently controlled, it will be evident that the amount of outward or inward pressure or the resulting balanced pressures against thel shaft make possible a. ilne adjustment of hold- When the vacuum chamber 28 is vacuumized, atmospheric pressure acting upon the outer wall of the valve 21 tends to force it tightly against the cooperatingtapered walls of the valve seat 31 and withoutthe compensating features j ust described of the sliding spring held bearings, this atmospheric pressure would cause excessive wear o n the valve seat and require an' excess of driving ,force to rotate-the valve. With the adjustmentqof the springs 67, 95 for greater compressiomhowever, the required partial compensation `is madeto properly hold the valve inwardly against its seat with just suilicient force to seal the chamber opening. As the valve 21 expands, after becoming heated in operation,I yielding of 'the springs 75, 96'automatically takes place compensatng for the resulting change in position of the valve center.

It is desirable thatl provision be made for removing the cans 23 from the valve Vpockets (22.

and for this purpose a swinging finger 111(Figs. 1 and 2) is located within. each pocket 22. These fingers are each mounted upon a vertical'shaft 112 extending through the valve and the upper 115 end of each shaft carriest an arm 113. vThe outerI end of the arm rotatably carries a cam roller A114 which operates within a groove 115 of a stationary face cam 116 mounted just above the valve 2 1 and secured to the frame 57.

i v The valve 21 may be rotated in any suitable manner, as by driving through its kshaft 24, a

` gear 117 (Fig.v 1) on thelower end of the shaft 'providing a form of driving connection vfor this purpose.-

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the` form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely` a preferred embodiment thereof.`

I clam:-

1. In an apparatus for vacuumizingy containers,

A the combination of a vacuum chamber having an opening therein, a rotating can carrier valvefor closing -said opening, a vrigid valveseat'interposed between said chamber and saidimlve,l and means associated with said valve and yielding in directions .towards and from said 'chamber to maintain the tightness of the valve on yits seat.

2. In an apparatus forvacuuxnizing containers, the combination of a vacuum chamberl having an opening therein, a rotating can 'carriere-,valve mounted in floating bearings forclosing said opening, a rigid valve seat interposed between said chamber and saidvaexlve, and spring yielding means associated with said bearings for con- 'cans relative to said vacuum.' chamber, a valve trolling the engagementl between said valve and said seat.

3. In an apparatus for vacuumizing containers,

' the combination of a vacuum chamber having an opening therein, a tapered, rotating can carrier valve for closing said opening, a rigid valve seat having tapered valve engaging surfaces interposed between said chamber and said valve.- adjustable devices for bringing the tapered surface of said valve closer to or farther from the tapered'surfaee of said valve seat, and yielding means associated with said valve for controlling the engagement between it and said seat.

4. In an apparatus for vacuumizing containers, the combination of a vacuum chamber having an opening therein, a rotating can carrier valve for closing said opening, a rigid valve seat interposed between said chamber and said valve, resilient means associated with said valve for controlling the engagement between it andsaid seat, and means for adjusting the effective operation of said resilientv means.

5. In an apparatus-for vacuum'lzing containers, the combination of a' tapered rotating valve havin'g can carrier pockets, a rigid valve .seat associated with said valve and having tapered valve engaging surfaces, adjustable devices for raising and lowering the said valve relative to said. seat, andspring yielding means associated with said valve for controlling the engagement between it and said seat.

`6. In an apparatus for vacuumizing containers, the combination of a tapered rotating valve having can-carrier pockets, a rigid valve seat associated with said valve and having ltapered valve engaging surfaces, adjustable devices for raising and lowering the said valve relative to said seat, spring yielding 'means associated with said valve for controlling the engagement between it and said seat, and means for 'adjusting the compression of said springs to vary the effective operationA of said yielding means.

7. In an apparatus for vacuumizing containers, the combination of a casing enclosing a vacuum chamber, a tapered valve having can carrierl pockets mounted adjacent said casing for moving f se'at secured to said casing and having tapered valve engaging surfaces, a vertically disposedshaft on which said valve is mounted, floating bearing members slidably carried by said casing and mounted on said shaft, and yielding means interposed between saidcasing and said bearing members for controlling tlie engagement between said tapered valve and valve seat surfaces.

8. In an apparatus for vacuumizing containers, the combination of a casing enclosing a vacuum chamber, a tapered valve having can carrier pockets mounted adjacent said casing for moving cans relative to said vacuum chamber, a valve seat secured to said casing and having tapered valve engaging surfaces, a vertically disposed shaft on which said valve is mounted, floating bearing members slidably carried by said casing and mounted on said shaft, and opposed spring yielding means supported by said casing and operating against opposite ends of said bearing members for controlling both the inward pressure of the `said valve against said seat and the outward movement of the same away from its seat to partially counteract the effect of atmospheric pressure on said valve when said chamber is under vacuum.

9. In an apparatus for vacuumizing containers, the combination of a casing enclosing a vacuum chamber, a tapered valve having can carrier pockets mounted adiacent said casing for moving cans relative to said vacuum chamber, a valve seat secured to said casing and having tapered valve engaging surfaces, a vertically disposed shaftv on 'which' said valve is mounted, floating bearing independent adjustment devices for said spring means. JOHN M. YOU NG.

.valve when said chamber is under vacuum, and A. 

